Posted on Oct 26, 2010A recent study appearing in the medical journal Archives of Surgery reports serious and catastrophic medical mistakes and medical errors are more common than we thought. The medical malpractice found in the study focused on "never events" - mistakes, errors, malpractice that should never happen, like operating on the wrong patient, removing the wrong body part during surgery, mixing up patient biopsy results, etc.

Most of the medical mistakes had to do with miscommunication and many could have been prevented by simple safety precautions.

One of the ways to keep patients safe in the operating room is for the surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurses and techs - all of the health care providers - to take a "time out" while the patient is still awake and alert. During the time out, everyone confirms the patient's name, the surgical procedure about to be performed and the surgical site.

The lead researcher in the study called the reported errors "the tip of the iceberg" and a Johns Hopkins physician said catastrophic surgical errors are "a lot more common than the public thinks."

We only represent people and families; patients injured because of preventable medical mistakes, children with cerebral palsy, workers with on-the-job injuries, people injured in serious car accidents, and families who have lost a loved one. That's all we do.

Like all of us - bus drivers, accountants, construction workers, lawyers, we all have rules to follow. And nurses, doctors, hospital techs, specialists, consultants are no different. Everyone in healthcare has rules to follow - rules that are in place to keep patients safe.

So if you think someone you know was seriously injured because someone in healthcare didn't follow the rules, or a hospital didn't have a system to make sure the right thing was done, call us or send us a confidential email. We'll give you as much information as we can about preventable medical mistakes in D.C., Maryland or Virginia and holding the healthcare system accountable for breaking the rules.